Auction News

Auction from Hemmings Classic Car

This is one of the busiest years in the auction business we can remember. We haven't seen car prices climb to pre-recession levels, but the incredible flowering of new auctions says there's a whole lot of confidence in the business.

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In Canada, especially Calgary, the auction scene is hopping, starting with the venerable Okotoks May auction. After attending for years, but never buying a car there, a local collector finally took the plunge and made a purchase: Fred Phillips is the new owner, as of the 36th annual sale in May. He's revamped the auction website and will be working with former owner Grant Hill for many months to ensure a smooth transition. Contact: www.okotokscarauction.com Fred Phillips had better make sure it's smooth, because he has competition.
Collector Car Group is a new venture from Car Crazy Auction's Harold Heninger and Country Boy's David Bennett; it held a new Calgary auction on April 24, a week after Car Crazy's Frank Sissons had his own. Collector Car Group won't be confined to Calgary, which now has eight annual auctions. If you're counting, that's more than New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami combined. Contact: www.thecollectorcargroup.com.
Down in Auburn, Indiana, there's even more auction action. While Kruse is out of the business and it's unclear if their successor, Auburn Auctions, will hold a September sale, there won't be any shortage of cars in Indiana. At Worldwide, they've made big waves by eliminating seller's commission on the 450 cars they will offer in days one and two of an expanded three-day September 2-4 auction; a final-day, 80-car catalog auction will still charge commission. Contact: www.wwgauctions.com.
Worldwide, too, has a new rival, Classical Event Auctions. CEA, run by locals Greg Peterson and Frank Parr, has scheduled a Labor Day weekend auction north of Auburn, in Waterloo, Indiana. They're planning on three days, September 3-5. Contact: www.classicaleventauctions.com.
But wait, there's more!
After changing the law to allow him to hold the first collector-car auction in Ohio history in 2008, Bob Lichty's Classic Motorcar Auctions got very quiet, and didn't schedule a third auction for 2010. Bob was not idle, though, and in a recent announcement has landed the prestigious Glenmoor Gathering on September 18 as his new venue. Bob has deep roots in the collector-car community, so we know this auction will be worth attending. Contact: www.classicmotorcarauctions.com .
On the East Coast, the Fairfield Concours in Connecticut has pulled off a coup of their own, landing Bonhams' Vintage New England sale, formerly located in Massachusetts. The September 12 sale traditionally focuses on early cars, and Fairfield's spacious venue is an ideal setting. With Fairfield, Bonhams and their Bonhams & Butterfields division will have an unbelievable four auctions over three days, in Fairfield; Tacoma, Washington; Riems, France; and at Beaulieu in England. We do wonder if they will continue to hold a sale at the Greenwich Concours, as well. Contact: www.bonhams.comAUCTION PROFILEHow Much a Holsman?
While there are a few of them circulating, Brass-era Holsman highwheelers don't trade hands every day. For a moment this spring, though, they did trade hands every other week. The first, a largely unrestored 1904 model, sold at Branson in April for $31,320, part of the Memoryville USA collection of interesting early cars. Two weeks later, in Seabrook, Texas, another unrestored Holsman turned up at Worldwide. This one was a 1908 10-K, part of the Buess Collection of early cars. Condition of the Buess car was inferior to the Branson Holsman, but it brought $41,800.
Both cars were part of large groups of unrestored early cars, and if anything, as the first sale, we would have expected the Branson car to go for more. But there were two crucial differences. First, at the time of its dispersal, George L. Carney's Memoryville USA collection had been nearly forgotten, while the Buess family was active in the hobby. Second, it was unclear to what extent Carney's car had been worked on (although any work was long ago), while the Buess car was thoroughly original. Despite being unusable as sold, it was worth 30 percent more to the buyer.

This article originally appeared in the September, 2010 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.